Newsletter

County to consider streaming meetings online

Local governing bodies plan this week to consider approving the demolition of a former church sanctuary and taking a step toward broadcasting Shawnee County Commission meetings online.

The county commission will meet at 9 a.m. Monday in its chambers in Room B-11 of the county courthouse, 200 S.E. 7th.

Commissioners will consider approving a contract with San Francisco-based Ustream Inc. to stream a live, online feed of commission meetings. The service would be provided on a month-to-month basis and could be terminated at any time.

Ustream would provide up to 100 viewer hours of streaming at a rate of $100 per month. The billing rate would be rise by 50 cents per hour if viewers watched more than 100 commission meeting hours in a particular month.

If viewer demand for the streaming service were shown to regularly exceed a total monthly cost of $299, the agreement could be amended to upgrade to the next level of service, which would provide up to 48,000 viewer hours of streaming at a rate of $299 per month.

Commissioners also plan Monday to consider approving the purchase of nine zero-turn radius mowers for $155,220 from Overland Park-based Blue Valley Tractor, which submitted the lowest bid that met the county’s specifications from among the seven that were submitted. The parks and recreation department would use the mowers.

The Topeka City Council will hold a work session at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday in its chambers at 214 S.E. 8th. The council will hear a presentation about neighborhood conservation districts from city planning director Bill Fiander and consider going into executive session to discuss a tort claim appeal.

The council will then meet at 6 p.m. in its chambers, where city manager Jim Colson will provide information about suggestions being made regarding the potential extension of a countywide, half-cent sales tax.

The city’s governing body, consisting of the nine council members and Mayor Larry Wolgast, also plans to consider authorizing the demolition of the sanctuary of the former East Topeka United Methodist Church building, 700 S.E. Lime.

The Kansas East Conference of the United Methodist Church hopes to raze the sanctuary part of the building, which was constructed in 1890 and used for services until the church ended them due to declining membership last July. The church continues to use, and isn’t seeking to demolish, the part of the building that houses a fellowship and faith ministry it started in 1960 to aid the needy.

The Topeka Landmarks Commission voted 8-0 in December to conclude the proposed sanctuary demolition would encroach upon, damage or destroy the historic environs of the listed property, which is part of the environs of the East Topeka Junior High School building. That decision has been appealed to the governing body.

The body also plans to consider authorizing the refinancing of $36 million in combined utilities revenue bonds previously issued by the city.

City staff members estimate the move would save the city $1.9 million, of which $1.8 million would be applied to the city’s 2013 budget to try to keep the general fund ending balance from falling to a level that could harm the city’s bond rating. If that rating were lowered, the city would be forced to pay higher interest rates when it borrows money.